Levy

Sydney Grace Levy Pressed Pigment Shadow ($6.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a cooler, bluish-teal base with warmer, golden shimmer paired with a metallic finish. It seemed more like a cool-toned teal, but there was a lot of dimension with the interplay between cool and warm. The texture was soft, lightly creamy, and dense without being thick or too firmly-pressed in the pan. The eyeshadow applied well to bare skin and lasted well for eight hours on me.

Formula Overview

$6.00/0.06 oz. - $100.00 Per Ounce

The shimmer eyeshadows are more consistent in pigmentation with the majority of shades having opaque color coverage. The more metallic/sparkly the shade is, the creamier and more emollient the eyeshadow felt in the pan, which often yielded really smooth application and good adherence to the lid, though a few worked better with a fingertip or a dampened brush for true-to-pan color or to get a truer finish/sheen. Most shades, however, worked well with brushes, and I didn't have trouble applying or blending out most of the shimmer shades. The more satin to pearl like finishes tend to feel a little thinner but blend out well. These shades wore between eight and nine hours on me with some of the more foiled-like shades creasing noticeably at the end (and the less foiled-like ones fading).

Avant-Premiere (02)

Giorgio Armani Avant-Premiere (02) Eye Quattro Eyeshadow Palette ($60.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a new, permanent neutral set of shades that includes a peach, mid-tone bronze, light taupe, and deep, red-brown. The four shades complemented each other to create an easy, go-to neutral look–I could definitely see it being a workhorse of a product for some people. All four shades performed well and came together without having to work at it.

Coral Plume (79)

YSL Coral Plume (79) Rouge Volupte Shine Oil-in-Stick ($38.00 for 0.11 oz.) is a muted, medium orange with warm, almost brown undertones and a glossy, cream-like finish. This was one of the few shades from the new-for-spring hues that didn’t apply well for me; it had slightly uneven coverage and slight streaking along the edges. It seemed to be more slippery and thicker, which seemed to contribute to the less impressive application. It had medium color payoff, as anticipated, and the lipstick was comfortable to apply and to wear, though it only lasted for three and a half hours on me (but was hydrating).

Formula Overview

$38.00/0.11 oz. - $345.45 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be "deeply hydrating" and "melt" onto the lips with a "pop of color" and give long-term hydration. It is described as having "medium coverage" and "irreverent shine." The color coverage was typically medium, as described, though some of the deeper shades were more buildable to semi-opaque coverage. They're a very, very creamy, emollient formula; they slip-slide as they melt against the lips during application, and it feels luxurious to apply but can be easily over-applied. It's just the type of texture that lends itself to over-application without adding more coverage, so I recommend being mindful in order to ensure you'll get plenty of usage out of each tube. Fortunately, once on, they don't feel thick or overly slippery, so it doesn't feel like the lipstick is constantly moving while worn.

They have a high-shine, almost glossy, finish that often smoothed out my lip lines without settling into them, and the latter made it more impressive due to the amount of color and slip. The wear time varied from shade to shade but typically landed between three and five hours. Some shades leave a faint stain behind--usually the mid-tone and darker hues. The formula has a sweet, mango scent but no discernible taste.